English Premier League giants and reigning champions Manchester City have agreed a deal with an Adelaide school as part of their continued push into Australia.
Key points:
- Adelaide’s Rostrevor College to host Manchester City football school from next year
- English football giant to offer coaching courses, including for Northern Territory students
- Former A-League player Daniel Mullen said it was a school, not an academy, that would be integrated into the current programme.
The club has announced it is partnering with Rostrevor College, a Catholic boys’ school in Adelaide’s north-east, to establish a football school on site.
Rostrevor counts several Socceroos and A-League players among its former students, including current staff member Daniel Mullen.
Mullen said the club would establish a presence from next year, giving students the opportunity to take part in the Manchester City program which would be integrated into the school curriculum.
“We will bring in a professional English coach from Manchester City, who will be employed full-time by the school,” he said.
“There are so many possibilities and opportunities with this partnership – the school is just one of them.
“We (can) run Manchester City Football School clinics here at Rostrevor College as well as in the Northern Territory, and we also have the ability to run them for boys and girls.“
In a statement, Manchester CIty said it was “delighted to share” its sporting expertise with Australian juniors, and that contributing to the students’ “personal development” was also a vital aspect of the program.
“Working together, our program will deliver a world-class football education, designed specifically for students,” said Jorgina Busquets, Director of Education at City Football Group.
Manchester City has reached similar deals with two other Australian schools: St Laurence College in Brisbane and Parade College in Melbourne.
The one from the club parent company, which also owns A-League club Melbourne Cityhas drawn criticism from some for its global reach, including from Amnesty International which accused him of so-called “sportswashing”.
Daniel Mullen, pictured here playing for Melbourne Victory, is now Rostrevor’s football coordinator. (AAP Image: Julian Smith)
But Mullen said what happened at Rostrevor would be based in education and aligned with “current standards in Australia”.
“It’s not an academy, it’s a football school, and again, that’s a very big difference,” he said.
“If it was an academy you could say it was all about keeping players and trying to produce footballers who will want to go to their clubs.
“But that’s not the case at all.”
Mullen said students were “thrilled” upon hearing the news today.
“Not everyone is a Man City supporter, but I think they might be a Man City supporter,”
he said.
